Quilombola community in Mato Grosso state analyses research data

On 24-26 May 2019, the Amazon Conservation Team (ECAM) and the National Coordination of the Black Quilombola Rural Communities (CONAQ) ran a workshop with the Mutuca quilombola community in Mato Grosso state to map and analyze socio-economic data. The event’s objective was to work through the data gathered with a CONAQ questionnaire with the local community and to discuss public policies relating to the community. The activity is part of the Sharing Worlds project, a partnership between ECAM, Google and USAID.

Some 30 members from the communities of Capim Verde, Mutuca, Mata Cavalo de Cima, Mata Cavalo de Baixo, Ponte da Estiva e Aguaçu (within the Mata Cavalo Quilombola territory), along with ECAM technicians and CONAQ coordinators took part in the workshop . The survey was conducted in 2017 and 2018 by the communities youth, who were trained in the use of digital tools such as ODK –for the questionnaire – and Google Earth for territorial management.

“By analyzing the data, the communities feel ownership of the research and can decide how to use the results – identifying the problems they wish to resolve and make plans,” explained Melina Machado who coordinates the Sharing Worlds program.

Besides data analysis, participants were trained in Excel and discussed access to public policies. According to Machado, this item was added on request from the community themselves.

“It was made clear since our first meetings that the community wanted tools that enable them to access public policies,” she explained.

“Together with CONAQ, we visited public authorities and put together a script to help communities know about related and relevant policies,” Machado added.

The meeting also defined next steps such as planning how to run the workshop in the states of Tocantins, Amapá, Pará and Rondônia.